Adrian's Angel by Angela Ashton

THE PAGAN & THE PEN BOOK REVIEWS

Title:  Adrian’s Angel
Author: Angela Ashton   

Author Site: http://angelaashtonbooks.com/

Buy Link: http://www.champagnebooks.com/
Publisher:  Champagne Books

Genre: Historical/Paranormal Romance (time travel)

Length: 374 pgs.

RATINGS FOR:

Cover: 4

Presentation: 5

Editing: 4 (Simple mistakes, like confusing bizarre/bazaar, threw/through, surly/surely, should have been caught by an editor.)

Story: 5

Writing Ability: 5

Overall Card Rating: 

Reviewed by: Violet Harper

About The Book: Plagued by baffling circumstances surrounding the loss of his childhood sweetheart, Adrian Birichino has spent the last twenty years trying to forget. When fate forces him to return to the town he loathes, his pervasive nightmares turn alarmingly real as a luminous angel steps out of thin air, inducing an accident that leaves his life in familiar hands. Real or not, she feeds a need burrowed deep in his soul. But if she’s just a figment of his hyperactive imagination, how had she managed to leave behind tangible evidence of her existence?

Having been catapulted to a sinister spot in time, Riley Gail must find a way to convince Adrian she is real and living in the heart of the infamous witch-hunt…else resign to be immortalized in the pages of history as one of Salem’s accused forevermore.

The Review: Adrian’s Angel stands out in a vast sea of novels involving the Salem Witch Hunts as one of the most refreshingly original works ever written. Ms. Ashton uses the tragic events as both a character and a plot device in her fast-paced, adventure-filled tale of two soul mates ripped from one another by fate. She does a wonderful job of using the hunts effectively without letting them overshadow the real story.

I couldn’t help but fall in love with both the tormented hero, Adrian, and the feisty heroine, Riley.  Both were dealt more than their share of heartache and tragedy before they reached their teen years.  It only got worse for them after that.  Yet each of them displayed an indomitable spirit that made them interesting and worthwhile characters.  Ms. Ashton’s skill at building characters is amazing.  From the first page, I never doubted that any of them were real people.  Even when she recreated historical figures, she made them real while still maintaining accurate portrayals.

This was a longer novel, and the plot was full of riveting twists and turns.  Many characters added their viewpoints to build an intricate web of truths and lies.  Ms. Ashton expertly wove everything together in a time-travel adventure that will keep you on the edge of your seat with wanting to know what happens next.  I am looking forward to reading more stories by this amazing author.

Pagan Elements: Though the story has an overtly Christian backdrop (it was Puritan times,) several characters use magic in order to grow as people.  Adrian must learn to forgive and let go of his hate.  He is aided in this by Fannie, the ‘real’ witch in the story, through the performing of several Pagan rituals.

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